Washing-machine



(Mode!) A. ATKINSON.

Washing Machine.

No. 231,750. Patented Aug. 31,1880.

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WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

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ALEXANDER ATKINSON, OF WINTERSET, IOWA.

WASHING-MACHINE.,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 231,750, dated August 31,. 1880.

' Application filodMareh 9,1880. (Model) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER ATKINSON, of Winterset, in the county of Madison and State of Iowa, have invented a new and Improved Washing-Machine, of which the following is a specification.

The objectof this invention is to provide a simple and effective device for washing clothes and afterward wringing them without moving them from the tub.

The invention consists of a tub provided with a false bottom, which bottom has radial ribs on its under side and radial ribs on which are fixed circles or hexagons of wireon its upper face or side, and it consists, further, of a plunger whose under face is provided with circular ribs and radial wires, and it consists, further, of a short upright shaft fixed in the center of the tub, and of a vertical lever or handle that passes down through the center of the plunger and is connected with the upright shaft by a ball-aud-socket joint, whereby the said plunger can be rocked and rotated at will and it consists, further, of a perforated cylinder resting centrally on the bottom of the tub and surrounding the short upright shaft and ball-and-socket joint, thereby preventing the entanglin g of the clothes therewith.

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional elevation of the device. Fig. 2 is a plan of the upper face of the false bottom of the tub. Fig. 3 is a plan of the lower face of the plunger.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, Arepresents a platform on which the tub B rests, said tubB being secured to the platform by ears and clamps a and b, respectively.

(lis the false bottom of the tub, consisting of a circular plate having a central opening, 0, and having on its under side radial ribs (1, and provided on the upper side with radial ribs f, which extend from theedge of the opening 0 to the periphery of the plate, and with short radial ribs f at the periphery of the plate. These ribs f and f are notched on their upper edges, as shown in Fig. 1, and secured 'in these notches are concentric or hexagonal circles of wire g-g, extending from the open center 0 of the plate 0 to the periphery thereof.

D is the plunger, which consists of a circular plate having a circular opening, h, and having on its lower face two circular ribs,i t, and an intermediate hexagonal .rib, 7c, and a series of radial wires, m, extending'from the inner to the outer circular rib. From the top of this plunger D spring the four braces n n, that unite over the center of the opening it and form a sleeve or socket, 0, for receiving the handle or lever E.

From the outer edge of the top of the plunger D the braces 2 extend upward to the top of the sleeve or socket 0, and from the top of two of these opposite braces 19 the flat springs q q extend still farther up and engage in the notches M" of the handle or lever E to hold said handle or lever E firmly in position.

In the bottom of the tub B is a central opening, 8, down through which projects the upright shaft F, which shaft F is secured in place by nut t. The top of the shaft F is formed into a ball, a, which ball a is grasped by the bent fingers o of the lower end of the handle or lever E.

A cylinder or sleeve, Gr, provided with perforations w near its lower edge, is set on the bottom of the tub and projects upward through the central openings, 0 and h, of the false bottom 0 and plunger D, respectively, surrounding the ball-and-sookct joint of the handle or lever E and upright shaft F, thereby prevent ing the clothes from becoming entangled in the said joint.

The device is operated by raising the plunger D and placing the clothes upon the false bottom 0, and then pouring sufficient water into the tub upon the clothes, and then the plunger D is pressed down upon the clothes and the, operator takes hold of the handle E, pushing it from him when the plunger pressing upon the clothes on one side relieves the pressure on the other side. 7

By thus forcing the lever around. the point of pressure is made to pass around the tub, thereby forcing the Water around and through the clothes and quickly cleansing them 5 or the plunger may be made simply to rotate or to press down upon the clothes on all points at once, in each instance operating by pressure alone without rubbing or pounding. After the clothes are thus cleansed the water is.

drawn oft from the tub by Withdrawing the plug as from the bottom of said tub, when the water may run into any vessel placed to receive it beneath the platform A.

5 After the water is drawn out of the tub the pressing motion of the plunger may be resumed and the clothes pressed or wrung dry, the water from them escaping by the channels formed by the ribs and wires that are fixed 10 upon the false bottom of the tub and on the under side of the plunger, as shown.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 15 1. The plunger D of a washing-machine, consisting of a circular plate with opening h,

ribs '6, intermediate rib, is, the series of radial wires m, the braces n, forming socket 0, the braces 12, and the flat springs q, in combination with handle E, having notches 4", as 20 shown and described.

2. In a washing-machine, the combination, with the tub, of the shaft attached and held down thereto by a ball-and-socket joint, the sleeve G, that allows the rotation of the shaft 2 5 without interference from the contents of the tub, and plunger D, as shown and described.

ALEXANDER ATKINSON.

Witnesses:

D. E. JONES, E. G. PERKINS. 

